Athlete-doctor's book prescribes fixes for sport injuries

Amanda Cuda

Published 1:00 am, Wednesday, August 15, 2012

When patients come to Dr. Jordan Metzl with shin splints, tendinitis and other sports injuries, they aren't just seeking his expertise as a physician. They're seeking his expertise as a lifelong athlete and veteran of multiple marathons and Ironman triathlons.

Metzl, who practices sports medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, with a secondary office in Old Greenwich, treats athletes of all ages and abilities. His clients have included football players and the Radio City Rockettes. His patients, he said, don't just see him as a doctor. They see him as a colleague in athleticism -- someone who has experienced many of the same aches and pains that they have.

"If you're going to be a sports medicine doctor, you have to walk the walk," said Metzl, who lives in New York. "My patients respect what I tell them to do, because they know I'm thinking about this from athletic point of view."

In other words, he knows that the primary concern of any injured athlete is getting back to his or her sport or activity. To that end, Metzl has written "The Athlete's Book of Home Remedies," ($25.99, Rodale Books). The book, published this year, offers more than a thousand health fixes and prevention secrets for a wide range of sports injuries. Each chapter focuses on a different section of the body, such as knees or the lower back, and details the various ailments that could afflict these body parts. The book also lets readers know whether they need surgery for a certain condition or if they should call a doctor about their problem. The goal, Metzl said, is educating the athletically inclined and empowering them to take care of their bodies. He spoke more about the book, and his own athletic endeavours, during a recent telephone interview.

Q: You come from a family of many doctors. Your father is a pediatrician; your mother is a psychologist and two of your three siblings are medical doctors. Did you always know you wanted to be a doctor? Did you always know you wanted to pursue sports medicine?

A: It sounds corny but I really did. My parents were my heroes growing up. I remember making rounds with my dad. I always thought I'd be a doctor. Eventually, I knew I loved sports and (preventive) health. There was a whole evolution of knowing I wanted be a doctor and knowing what kind I wanted to be.

Q: You're also an accomplished athlete. You played sports, including soccer, in both high school and college and you've participated in nearly 30 marathons. You also just completed your 10th Iron Man triathlon. What drives you to compete in these extreme events?

A: I think it comes from a desire to push myself further than your body and mind want to go. Doing these kinds of athletic events parallels a lot of the other things I want to do, in that I want to get the most from myself.

Q: Why did you decide to write this book?

A: I just think there's so much information out there that's wrong and tends to steer people toward getting certain procedures. There was no real source out there that was unbiased. My main purpose for this is to keep people active and moving. Our best medicine is prevention. Our health care system is set up to treat disease. If you have a heart problem, you go to a doctor, get diagnosed, get medicine, and maybe get a catheter or open heart surgery. We spend so little time talking about prevention. Exercise is prevention.

Q: As a doctor, what are the most common sports-related injuries you see?

A: It really depends on what time of year and the age of the person. In the fall, I see lots of runners paying for the New York marathon, and they come in with shin splints. In the spring, I see lots of baseball players. It really tends to be seasonal.

Everybody who comes to see me, their main thing is "I want to get back to my activity." The main reason they come to see me is that they know I'm an athlete. I think (being an athlete) evolved over time to give me a unique perspective.

Q: What remedies and preventive measures in this book do you think will be most useful to people?

A: If you have an arthritic knee or tendonitis, (you're) told to rest it. I say the opposite. I want you to do more. Basically, if you rest it, you end up losing all of your strength. If you exercise and strengthen it, it's like you're building scaffolding. That's very surprising for people.

Q: What do you most want people to take away from this book?

A: I want them to be empowered. I think everybody knows that activity is good for them, but I think that, when it comes to prevention and injury, people really don't know what to do. I want people to be their own best advocates. It's about taking care of their own bodies and asking the right questions of their providers and themselves.